1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to an exercise machine, of a type designed to exercise lower body muscles. The resisting motion to which the lower body is subjected to when using this machine is unique, and may perhaps be best characterized as a combination of the resisting motions that would be experienced during the use of a bicycle, a stair stepper, and a skiing machine.
2. Description of Prior Art
The market is replete with exercise machines designed to exercise various muscle groups in the human body. Three popular categories of exercise machines designed to exercise the lower body are bicycle machines, stair steppers, and skiing machines. These machines have been successful because they offer an effective form of an aerobic, low impact exercise.
Bicycle machines provide resistance to leg motion by causing two foot petals, which receive the feet of the user, to each resistively travel along a circular path, mutually in the same direction, about a coaxial, horizontal axis of rotation, while maintaining the pedals diametrically opposite and with constant lateral distance between them.
Stair steppers provide resistance to leg motion such that work is performed during the unbending (or straightening) of each leg as two pedals or foot platforms are continuously and alternatively stepped upon and released.
Skiing machines offer resistance to leg motion by allowing two foot platforms to alternately travel rearward with resistance and forward with minimal resistance in a linear side by side manner. During use, dependent upon the specific machine design, the two foot platforms may have to be continuously coordinated and synchronized by the user to be out of phase with each other by half of a cycle.